Wrap Around Mics Oye!

Well I dont know the technical name for them, but the mics that go over your ear and have the tube that comes around (like the ones singers use in concerts to make it look like they're actually singing), Oye! They shouldn't be used in plays it looks horrid.

Haha, Countrymen. We use them...or rather my high school uses them (I'm graduated!! What?!!). I never got that either. We "attempted" to cover them with electrical tape and makeup, but it always drives me NUTS when I see them! They're better than a lot of the alternatives, but ugh!

Some people put them through the actor's hair, though, so that it just pokes out at the forehead, where some people have a widow's peak. That you can barely see, and I looovve that.

It depends on what type you are talking about. It you are refering to the big, black boom mics like Madonna and Britney Spears used several years ago, I couldn't agree more. They are fairly cheap and most do have a good sound, but they take away from the show.

The newer style, like the countryman and AKG are a different story. If worn properly, they sound GREAT! If the color of the mic matches the skin (or makeup) tone, they can not be seen past the few first rows. The sound is so much better than the typical lavs, it far outweighes the downsides of it (cost and appearance for the first couple of rows). These things do cost a pretty penny. I was doing lights for a high school musical (Beauty and the beast) and Belle couldn't be heard at all with the cheap lav mics they had. lI went with her to the shop in town that sells them, and we got the one that fit the best and worked for her several costume changes. We ended up with the AKG. She sounded great, and I paid about $300 for it. I had only stocked countryman before that, but I really like the AKG.

Last edited: Jun 24, 2007

It's all about the out!
Tom
Uptown Lighting and Sound
Production Services and Equipment Rentals
Now Renting the New SMARTFADE MLwww.uptownlightingandsound.com

The Countryman E6i mics are great. Absolutely amazing. Stellar. Yeah, I love 'em. However, the cables must be cared for like fine china, because they often break during runs, so it's good to have at least three or four extra cables around to replace the ones that break (good thing, some models of the countrymans have a nice locking connector to the earset on some of their models, so you don't actually have to cut off the cable and solder on a new one).

Oops. I lied. It was the Audio Technica MicroSet AT892 that I recently got and really liked. It is a little more robust that the Countryman, in my opinion, and has a great sound. It is pretty comfortable to wear and has a very discrete appearance.

You can get just about any pin configuration. For the school stuff, I bought a few of the new Shure PGX wireless systems and got the mic's for those. Just specify which you need when you order them. The place that I buy my audio gear stocks just about everything for sennheiser and shure.

It's all about the out!
Tom
Uptown Lighting and Sound
Production Services and Equipment Rentals
Now Renting the New SMARTFADE MLwww.uptownlightingandsound.com